Kiosk for recycling electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11935138-B2
Application number	US-202117225932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2021
Priority date	Oct 2, 2008
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A recycling kiosk for recycling and financial remuneration for submission of an electronic device such as a mobile phone is disclosed herein. The recycling kiosk includes electrical connectors and an inspection area with an upper chamber, a lower chamber, a transparent plate and at least one camera in order to perform a visual analysis and an electrical analysis of the electronic device for determination of a value of the electronic device. The recycling kiosk also includes a processor and a display for user interaction.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method for recycling an electronic device of a user at a kiosk, the method comprising:
receiving, via a user interface operably associated with the kiosk, a first identifier associated with the electronic device;
determining, based at least in part on the first identifier, an initial price for the electronic device;
prompting the user to position the electronic device in an inspection area of the kiosk while a screen of the electronic device is illuminated;
performing, via one or more cameras of the kiosk, a visual inspection of the electronic device, wherein performing the visual inspection includes—
receiving, via the one or more cameras, a second identifier associated with the electronic device, and
determining a condition of the electronic device;

determining a purchase price for the electronic device; and
offering, via the user interface, to purchase the electronic device from the user for the purchase price.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second identifier includes:
prompting the user to cause the electronic device to display the second identifier on the screen of the electronic device; and
reading, via the one or more cameras, the second identifier from the screen.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second identifier is a unique number associated with the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein reading the second identifier includes using OCR to read the second identifier from the screen of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second identifier includes:
capturing, via the one or more cameras, an image of the screen of the electronic device; and
analyzing, via a processor, the image to determine the second identifier.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein analyzing the image includes analyzing the image using OCR.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the purchase price includes receiving the purchase price from a remote server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the visual inspection includes performing the visual inspection while the screen of the electronic device is illuminated.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving, via a binning mechanism of the kiosk, the electronic device relative to the inspection area.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein moving the electronic device includes moving the electronic device in a first direction relative to the inspection area, the method further comprising moving, via the binning mechanism, the electronic device in a second direction relative to the inspection area.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second direction is different from the first direction.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the purchase price is based at least in part on the condition of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first identifier includes receiving a make, a model, and/or a predefined condition of the electronic device.

14. A method for recycling an electronic device at a kiosk, the method comprising:
obtaining an initial price for the electronic device, wherein the initial price is based at least in part on a make, a model, and/or a predefined determination of the condition of the electronic device;
prompting a user of the kiosk to position the electronic device in an inspection area of the kiosk;
obtaining, via one or more cameras of the kiosk, an actual determination of the condition of the electronic device; and
if the actual determination of the condition matches the predefined determination of the condition, offering the initial price to the user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining the initial price includes scanning, via a sensor operably associated with the kiosk, a machine-readable code provided by the user.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining the actual determination of the condition of the electronic device includes reading, via the one or more cameras, an image from a screen of the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein reading the image includes reading a unique number associated with the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining the actual determination of the condition of the electronic device includes determining, via the one or more cameras, whether the electronic device is damaged.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining the actual determination of the condition of the electronic device includes determining a condition of a screen of the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein determining the condition of the screen of the electronic device includes capturing, via the one or more cameras, an image of the screen of the electronic device.

Assignees

• Ecoatm Llc
• Ecoatm Inc

Inventors

• Bowles Mark Vincent
• Tullie Thomas L
• Beane John Andrew
• Ploetner Jeff
• Miller John
• Vesco Neil

Classifications

• Y02W90/00

  Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation · CPC title

• G06Q50/00 Primary

  Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism (healthcare informatics G16H) · CPC title

• G06Q10/00 Primary

  Administration; Management · CPC title

• G06Q10/30

  Administration of product recycling or disposal · CPC title

• G06Q30/00

  Commerce · CPC title